The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-12-02
MANKATo's FIRE PROTECTION.
The Public Thoroughly Aroused
What is Needed--The City
Engineer Speaks.

The recent disastrous conhagrations
at st. Peter and Lake Crystal, our near
est neighbors by rail on the north and
south, have set our people to thinking
as to whether Mankato is prepared to
cope successfully with such a fire or
whether il would not also be helpless.
The great majority-in fact, nearly all
of our citizens, who have given the
subject any thought, have come to the
conclusion that the city would he in
desperately bad straits in case of any
thing like serious fire.
The facts of the case seem to be these
We depend for our fire protection prac-
tically upon nothing except the water
works. There are two sources of supply
of water-the river and the flowing
wells. The end of the water main lies
in the deepest part of the river, but is
covered by only foot of water, as the
river is lower than ever before. The
pump at Hubbard Il Co.'S mill is forced
to lift the water twenty-six feet, while
no pump that was ever made can lift
il more than twenty-seven or twenty
eight feet. Thus nearly the whole pow
er of the pump is required to lift the
water and 1t is extremely doubtful
whether this strain could he kept Np for
three consecutive hours in case OF
need. Even were it possible, it is I'M
likely that more than one or two streams
could he used on the fire.
In the case of the flowing wells, the
water Is held in them for use in case OF
fire, and the only source of supply al
present for the mains is the river. From
fifteen to twenty minutes use will eX'
haust the water in these wells, says the
city engineer. Then the sand would
interfere. So it can be seen that no de,
pendence can be placed on the wells.
This is the present state of the fire
protection of this city. Many of oul
business men have realized the danger
Gus state of affairs and have increased
their insurance. One of the principa
firms has Just added $4,000 insurance
on ITS property AS stated day OF two
ago 10y an insurance man, it is expected
every day that the underwriters vii
send in orders to cancel every policy
held in the city or else TO double on the
rates and take less risks. Did they
know the situation of affairs they woulC
take these steps without loosing mo
ment's time, as they have done in othel
cities of the state. The amount of mon
ey that the increased rates would TAKE
out of the city would pay for an ample
system of fire protection twice over
That the people are awakening to the
| importance of the matter is manifest by
the frequency with which it is discusse,
on the streets and wherever business
men meet. The board of trade ha
placed itself squarelv on record, and i
only waits for the council to take thu
matter in hand and comply with tn,
wishes of its constituents. The latte
body has already made an advance oil
! the subject and has shown its apprecia
ton of the danger. The purchase of
sand pump to clean out the wells Ina
| been authorized, new hose ha
been bought, and, best of all, tn
committee On ire department has Deel
authorized to purchase chemical en-
CINE. This committee will be held res
ponsible to the people if 1t does not &C
promptly in the matter instead of follow
inc the traditions of the council an,
spending the most dangerous part of TIN
year for fires in useless correspondence
and disgraceful haggling. The peopl
are thoroughly aroused over the matte
and better fire protection must be had
4 reporter interviewed city enginee
Lilly on the subject and got consider
able valuable information from him
part of which is contained in the fore
going. His idea for improving the wa
ter supply from the river is to decreas,
the distance that the water has to b,
lifted by lowering the pump eight o
ten feet. 1t was learned at the mill tina
this can be easily done. Mr.. Lilly states
that there is no danger of the rive
freezing over the pipe or above 1t il
| such a manner as TO cut of the waite,
supply. There is no sandbar menacin;
the end of the pipe as has been stated
| He is in favor of purchasing a chemica
engine and says that the fifty gallon en-
CINE can be used from thirty to fort,
minutes without retilling, which latte
operation can be done in two minutes
The hose is 80 feet long and will reacl
| the remotest corner of any building il
the city. Tuesday mornings fire onl,
emphasizes the need for a chemical en-
CINE. With its assistance the fire coulC
have been extInguished long before
water was even secured for the hose.